1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrophotographic apparatus, and more particularly to electrophotographic apparatus which have a body comprising a lower frame and an upper frame openably connected to the lower frame, and an electrophotographic mechanism for forming copy images by exposing a photosensitive member to image forming light from an exposure head to form an electrostatic latent image thereon, developing the latent image to a visible image and transferring the image to a copy sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such electrophotographic apparatus are already used and proposed for use as laser beam printers which are used as connected to a host computer, personal computer or other computer, printers of facsimile systems, etc.
With the electrophotographic apparatus mentioned, the upper frame of its body is divided from the lower frame thereof along a sheet transport path for discharging therethrough the sheet having a copy image transferred thereto by the electrophotographic mechanism so that the sheet transport path can be opened and closed. This structure for opening and closing the path serves to facilitate the procedure to be followed when the path is jammed with the copy sheet.
The photosensitive member of the electrophotographic mechanism and the image forming devices thereof around the photosensitive member are further provided in the form of an image forming unit which is removable or replaceable to ensure the ease of maintenance.
With electrophotographic printers of the type mentioned placed into wider use, these printers are made more compact and lightweight and less costly. Following this trend, such printers are made monofunctional with its essential mechanism compacted to the greatest possible extent.
On the other hand, however, multifunctional electrophotographic printers are also required for convenience of use. It is therefore required to develop electrophotographic printers which are reduced in size, weight and cost and which have more functions.